Thread

[quilterkp]

Because I am now obsessed, I must ask more questions. What is your favorite thread?  And why are prewound bobbins so popular?

[Sharon Deming]

My favorite threads are from Superior Thread Co. I have thread cards for the ones I use the most, so selecting colors is fairly easy for my customers. I never wind my own bobbins. The pre-wounds have way more thread on them than I could get on a bobbin with my winder for one thing. But just try the good brands and your machine will let you know what IT wants you to use.

[connieb]

Glide and Lava or Rainbows for variegated.  I use Magna glide bobbins, love the prewounds.

[Kwiltr]

I like Glide as it works well, I like the sheen, it's a  polyester so unlike cotton, it doesn't shed, and it's at a great price point. I think a lot of people like prewounds because it saves them the time of winding their own and they get a consistent wind quality, providing more consistent  thread tension quality, so combined they are convenient.  I personally have always wound my own bobbins, as I haven't had an issue with the quality of my own wound bobbins, and the thread cost is less to wind your own gI have more time, than money ;o))  if you don't factor in the time it takes to wind them.  Also, prewounds for Glide are not offered in every colour, and I like to match my thread top and bobbin which I cannot do with prewounds.  It's a matter of personal preference on thread choices and things to consider are thread quality, performance, desired look on the quilt, price, availability, how well it works with your machine and so on....

[Pepsi Girl]

Glide is definitely my favorite thread!!!!  I use others when I first got Gabby but she did not like them and we had lots of issues.  Once I started using Glide all those troubles went away.  I wind my own bobbins.  Like Kathy said I like top and bottom thread to match most the time.  But I don't use the bobbin winder on the machine I have a stand alone winder!

[InesR]

The store that sold me Lenni told m e they use signature, so I started with that ( some lint)  I tried glide because of what I read here (noticeable, less lint). I have even used coats and Clark that I had picked up at Local Joann's store, left over from my DSM quilting, and bless lenni's heart, he has handed all those threads admirably. ")

I am considering trying one of the clear polyesters "0.  I tend to be a stewer so will be a little while before I do, but I'm working on it. ") 

[Cagey]

KP

I see we have another resident from the great State of SC.  Coming from the Low Country, I say use what thread you have.  Start with one brand and stick with that until you get your tension and stitching down pat.  Use what you have for you DSM.  Once you can do a bobbin change, change fabric and batting types, stitch in all directions at differing speeds without any tension or skipped stitch issues, then expand your horizons with new threads.  Pick a new thread, and quilt with it.  Once your comfortable try another.  

Hopefully, you will conquer your machine and demand it run any and every thread brand/type.  Your machine may like a few brands or types with minimal to no tension changes.  Other brands/types may take a large input to the tension disk or event the bobbin tension.  Don't be afraid, over power and demand your machine work with those threads.  If you just cannot get a thread brand/type to work for you, you decide keep experimenting or go back to an old faithful brand/type of thread.  Why make your quilting time miserable when it should be fun?

Finally, I believe that just like fabric addiction, there is thread addiction.  I recently attended a class by a national teacher that was hosted at a private home.  The host showed me her sewing room.  When she told me to open her closet it was filled with custom wall to wall-floor to ceiling shelving completely filled with fabric arranged by color in a minimum size of 1 yard.  It would have made a small sewing machine store proud to have had all the fabric in their inventory.  When I asked if she just shopped out of her closet, she smiled and informed me she still hit most of the fabric stores on a normal basis.

That being said, Superior Bottom Line comes in 55 colors.  Sew Fine come is four different weights, with the number of colors from 35 to 135 colors.  I am sure a few colors cross over each other.  If you bought just all the Bottom Line colors, you are looking at spending over $1000.  If you are doing this for fun, I say start small, and expand slowly.  By the color chart, and buy the color(s) you need and want.  Over time, you feel certain you will have a large assortment of threads colors, brands, and types.  You will become a thread addict soon enough.

Remember don't drink and stitch...if you must, drink something that will not stain your fabric or thread.

Cagey

 

 

[quilterkp]

Cagey,  I used to live in the low country!   We moved to the Columbia area when I was in the fourth grade.  I didn't realize that Sew Fine comes in different weights.  That is good info to have!

[LibbyG]

Because I have the L size bobbin, which doesn't hold as much thread.  I work mainly with So Fine and Bottom Line in the bobbin.  I do have some glide and like the shine on baby quilts.  I've tried King Tut, which I with pantographs, but I can't always get it to work.  

[Primitive1]

My go to's are So Fine, Lava, and Glide and Isacord.  My bobbins I like to use are magna glide and bottom line.

[Cagey]

KP

If you take a few classes on Craftsy or other spots, some instructors tell you they only use one brand/type.  I believe Angela Walters said she only used Isacord thread.  I believe Leah Day again only uses one brand, but I do not remember what it it.  This may be because they are sponsored by a thread company, or because that way they can purchase every color in the line so they alway have the right thread on hand.  

I use Robinson-Anton thread, primarily because I bought everything a store had as they went out of business.  I like the thread, and my George likes it.  I use the poly-thread, so I have to purchase it online, which is cheaper.

Cagey

[jimerickson]

I use YLI Longarm Professional most of the time.  Use bottom Line almost exclusively in my bobbins.  I wind all my own bobbins on an industrial bobbin winder.  Longarm Professional is a polyester thread that is very strong.  It allows you to sew very rapidly without fear of breaking thread.  It is also low lint.  I get about 210 yards of Bottom Line on my M size bobbins.  Enough to complete small quilts with one bobbin when doing edge to edge.  Good reasons in my mind for using this combo.

I tried Signature Permacore thread early on, but found it too linty for my tastes.  I use Glide occasionally when I want a special thread look, and Superior's Fantastico for variegated, and Twist for a different look.  I've found that Metro's Sigma performs very much like Glide, and it is much less expensive, so I use it now for "Glide" applications.  I never use cotton thread because of it's lack of strength, and it's lint.  Can't stand lint!  Jim

[LisaC]

My favorites are Glide and Sew Fine 50wt. If I want a sheen, I use Glide; if I don't want any shine, I use Sew Fine. I use pre-wound bobbins exclusively; both from Fil-tech (Glide) and from Superior (Super-Bobs).

[Gator]

I'm a glide fan for quilting and industrial embroidery.  Pre-would magna bobbins are a must have!  Actually anything Fil-tech (Bobbin Central) is my fav.

[Busy Quilting]

I prefer to use pre wound Magna Glide Classics in the bobbin as  my machine is L size and they have 120m of thread on them.  When I self wound Bottomline I only got about 90 m of thread and it took over a minute of time.  So costwise the prewounds win!  Use a colour that blends with the backing and rarely change it to match the top thread changes.

On the top I use anything and everything, I change up the thread path, as in the three hole thread guide above the tension disc, before I adjust my top tension.

My thread wallS have Glide, Glide 60, Affinity, Essence, Cairo Quilt fro Filtec. So Fine 50, So Fine 40, Bottomline, Monopoly, King Tut, Omni from Superior.  Invisifil And confetti and I have used Gutterman cotton.